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Sounds
from the Hudson Volume 9, Issue 1 LTC David Deitrick - Commander by SFC Richard F. Storey Congressional
Saxophones Education
Outreach Update Bicentennial
Premieres on October 8, 2000 Jazz
Knights News The
Band Goes West New
Millennium at West Point Sousa Returns to West Point
Band Groups Tour the Nation The Academy Band’s musical reach extends far beyond the idyllic rolling hills of the Hudson River Valley. This past December, for example, the concert band and field music group performed in Chicago for the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. This millennium season, many smaller ensembles and individual soloists will travel throughout the country, performing at various schools and other public venues. Regimental Brass Quintet
Also traveling this season will be Chief Warrant Officer Hester and the Jazz Knights. They will appear at the Music Educators All Eastern Conference, held at the Armed Forces School of Music, Little Creek, Virginia. Bicentennial Continues As part of the continuing observance of the Military Academy’s bicentennial, the band will premiere two major band works on Sunday, March 18th, 3 p.m. in the Eisenhower Hall Ballroom. Maj. William Garlette, the band’s deputy commander, will debut Stephen Melillo’s In a Cause Called "Glorious." Additionally, the Academy Band’s principal hornist, Sgt. 1st Class Harry Ditzel, will intepret The Contemplation of Bravery, written for him and the band by Joseph Bertolozzi. The bicentennial celebration will culminate next year, marking the 200 years since Military Academy’s 1802 establishment by President Thomas Jefferson. Congressional
Saxophones This past July, the Academy Concert Band traveled to Montreal, Quebec, to perform at the Twelfth World Saxophone Congress. No, it was not a gathering of musical lawmakers. There were no filibusters or sub-committee meetings. The world congress is an international saxophone convention that occurs every four years. In past years, it has been held in such locales as Spain and Japan. When Staff Sgt. Wayne Tice, alto saxophonist in the concert band, learned that the 2000 congress would be close enough for the band to attend, he made it his mission to have the Academy Band perform in Montreal. The Twelfth Saxophone World Congress was held at the University of Quebec, July 5-9. The theme was De Sax et d’autres (Of Saxes and Others), and the emphasis was on performances by mixed ensembles with saxophone, as opposed to the traditional chamber instrumentation of saxophone and piano. Over the five days of the congress, nearly 700 musicians from 30 countries interpreted 430 works. They presented 124 premieres of original compositions. There were performances in as many as six venues at once, starting as early as nine o’clock in the morning and continuing into the evening hours. Needless to say, it was impossible to see and hear it all. The Academy Concert Band, under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel David H. Deitrick, took the stage of the Salle Pierre-Mercure, the main concert hall, at three o’clock in the afternoon on July 7, and gave a performance that proved to be one of the highlights of the congress. The program started with The Official West Point March by Philip Egner. After this rousing opening the audience was treated to one of the standards of the saxophone repertoire performed by Staff Sergeant Lois Hicks-Wozniak, the Concerto in Eb, op. 109, by Alexandre Glazounov. The concerto was originally written for alto saxophone and string orchestra in 1934, and is neo-romantic in style. The band’s own Sgt. 1st Class Gary McCourry, saxophonist and arranger with the Jazz Knights, adeptly arranged it for band. Hicks-Wozniak performed the Glazunov with lyricism and technical flair and she even added an extended cadenza! West Point Saxophone Quartet
Saxophonist Lynn Klock took the stage next for David Jex’s Sweet Sorrows, for alto saxophone and band. Mr. Klock is professor of saxophone at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a veteran soloist with the Academy Band. Sweet Sorrows includes several cadenza-like solo passages with very technical lines that extend into the extreme high register, as well as popular harmonies and rhythms mixed with traditional composition techniques. The West Point Saxophone Quartet closed out the program as Master Sgt. Joseph Mariany, baritone saxophone, and Master Sgt. Daniel Teare, tenor saxophone, joined Staff Sgt. Hicks-Wozniak, alto saxophone and Staff Sgt.Tice, soprano saxophone, for the Capriccio for saxophone quartet and band, by Warren Barker. Mr. Barker is a former arranger for the Academy Band, and his delightful Capriccio is a stylistic romp featuring fast, driving sections; a slow waltz; cadenzas for all four saxophones; and even a comedic, circus-like passage. It is a piece that offers something for everyone, and it demonstrated the versatility, adroitness and professionalism of the West Point Saxophone Quartet. Lynn Klock joined the Academy Band and the quartet for an encore of Charlie Parker’s Just Friends solo, harmonized for five saxophones and band. The up-tempo Parker solo is from the recording Bird with Strings, and Mark Vinci, the well known New York jazz saxophonist, composer and educator, harmonized the famous solo especially for the Academy Band saxophone section. Master Sergeant James Perry, saxophonist and arranger with the Jazz Knights, arranged the string accompaniment for band. Staff Sgt. Tice switched back to lead alto on the tune and Staff Sgt. Hicks-Wozniak picked up her tenor. It was an exciting end to the concert to hear five saxophones playing a Charlie Parker solo in harmony, and it brought the audience to its feet! As the crowd gathered afterwards to greet the performers with hearty congratulations and accolades, it was clear that the vision of Staff Sgt. Tice and others had been a success. The Academy Band had represented the United States at an international music convention, and the saxophone section, in particular, had proven to be among the finest performers at the Twelfth World Saxophone Congress. Education
Outreach Update In keeping with its commitment to music education, the Academy Band performed a record number of concerts, clinics and master classes for schools and colleges across the country this past year. January 2000 began with the concert band's annual Sousa Concert. A number of our area school band members were in attendance and, as always, this colorful, historic program was well supported. The Academy Wind Quintet made a very productive concert/clinic tour to Missouri in February, visiting seventeen schools and colleges in the Kansas City area. During that same time, the Regimental Brass Quintet traveled to Minnesota. They gave concerts and master classes at the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Bemidje State University and Bethany Lutheran College. February also saw Staff Sgt. Barry Morrison presenting recitals and master classes at Alabama State and Jacksonville State University. In March, Lt. Col. Deitrick, Maj. Garlette and the concert band performed at Yale University for the northeast regional College Band Director's National Association convention. We featured three of our newly commissioned bicentennial works along with Staff Sgt. Michael Brown's beautiful arrangement of Songs of the Auvergne composed by Joseph Canteloube. Later in the month, we held auditions for our seventh annual "Young Artists Solo Competition." This event brings to Egner Hall some of the finest high school performers in the Hudson Valley, trying for a chance to solo with the band. Our three winners this year were bassoonist Frank Purdy of Cornwall, violinist Tristan Zukowski of Poughkeepsie and Andrea Weber, principal cellist of the Hudson Valley Youth Symphony. The three gave beautiful performances for a capacity crowd in Eisenhower Hall Ballroom during our May 7th concert. Once again, Master Sgt. Ron Harsch and the Jazz Knights hosted a highly successful spring weekend of master classes and demonstrations. This year, five of our area high school jazz bands participated, with many, many accolades for this fine event. July took the band up to Montreal, Quebec for participation in Le Douzième Congres Mondial du Saxophones (The Twelfth World Saxophone Congress). Our venerable saxophone section was featured in numerous chamber music and solo performances at this prestigious event. Staff Sgt. Wayne Tice's premiere of David Kechley's Restless Birds before the Dark Moon, and Staff Sgt. Lois Hicks-Wozniak’s beautiful playing with the Academy Wind Quintet were highlights of the week for us. After a busy summer of Trophy Point concerts and community concerts, the band traveled to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, for an evening program featuring another performance of David Kechley's new work for saxophone and band. Our annual October Young People's Concert enjoyed a crowd of nearly 3,000 students at Eisenhower Hall Theatre. Maj. William Garlette, Sgt. Maj. James R. Gerard, Master Sgt. John Cole and the band presented a program entitled "Danger - Music under Construction"... a humorous look at the building blocks of music. October also saw percussionist Sgt. 1st Class Dana Kimble presenting his informative silent film lecture/demonstration at Syracuse University and for the International Percussive Arts Society convention in Dallas, Texas. Staff Sgt. Bonnie Berry also traveled this fall, giving a concert and clinic at her alma mater, the Eastman School of Music. The concert band went to Bradenton, Florida, in November for three days of public concerts. In addition to our evening concerts, we presented a morning program for the instrumental music students of Manatee County along with clinic / master class sessions given by the West Point Clarinet Quartet, the Academy Wind Quintet, the Heritage Brass Quintet, and the West Point Percussion Ensemble. December brought us to the finish of another Army football season with our annual trip to the Army/Navy game, and the concert band traveled to Chicago for the annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Along with countless ceremonies, concerts and parades here at West Point, the United States Military Academy Band continues in the best tradition of America's premiere leadership institution by providing performances, lectures, clinics and inspiration to our schools, colleges and professional organizations across the country. Bicentennial
Premieres on October 8, 2000 On the first crisp autumn weekend of 2000, the United States Military Academy Concert Band, under the direction of Lt. Col. David Deitrick, premiered two commissions before a full house in the Eisenhower Hall Ballroom. On October 8th, composers Eric Ewazen and Dan Welcher were in attendance to hear their works played in public for the first time. The two selections complete thirteen works written for the celebration to date. The West Point Bicentennial Music Sub-Committee, under the direction of LTC Deitrick, has been busy contacting composers and commissioning works in honor of the upcoming bicentennial of the Military Academy in the year 2002. Opening the concert was an original march titled Pride of Princeton, by the band’s arranger, Staff Sgt. Douglas Richard. The march is dedicated to Mr. Jim Childers of Princeton, West Virginia, in recognition of his continued support of the band. Dan Welcher, composer of the first premiere on the program, spoke to the audience about his piece and his own West Point experience. (He was a bassoonist in the band from 1969-1972, during the height of the Vietnam War.) His Perpetual Song is a single-movement piece modeled on the delightful small works of Percy Grainger. In addition to honoring the Military Academy’s bicentennial, Welcher pays tribute to J. S. Bach and Dmitri Shostakovich, whose death dates are respectively 250 years and 25 years ago. Their concepts of counterpoint and endless melody are heard throughout the work. "It is quite a thrill for me to hear the band play my work at West Point," Mr. Welcher remarked, who holds the Lee Hage Jamail Regents Professorship in Composition at the University of Texas at Austin. Eric Ewazen, composition professor at the Juilliard School and composer in residence with the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, wrote the three-movement work Legacy for the bicentennial. "When I was first approached to compose this work," Ewazen recalled, "I immediately thought of my father, who was a World War II veteran. Wounded at the Battle of the Bulge, he was always very proud of his military service. The stories he would tell – of gallantry, loss, determination, and harrowing experiences, always resonated with pride." The first movement, "…of a Fortress over a River Valley," portrays, in a stately and elegant manner, the granite structures of West Point, breathtaking vistas from the surrounding mountains, and the quiet power of an ageless river. Movement two, "… of Fields of Battle," specifically recalls battle stories from WWII told by the composer’s father and uncles. The violent sounds of conflict surround a reassuring chorale. The finale, "…of Home and Country," returns to West Point and the hope of going home, despite the ever-present dangers of battle. Ewazen uses the oldest of all West Point songs, Benny Havens, along with the dazzling effect of the drum and bugle calls of the band’s field music group, the Hellcats. In addition to the exciting premieres of the day, the concert band featured two of its own, who are also Hudson Valley natives. Staff Sgt. Diana Cassar, clarinetist and alumna of Monroe-Woodbury High School and Ithaca College, played Victor Babin’s Hillandale Waltzes. Staff Sgt. MaryKay Messenger, soprano and graduate of the Newburgh Free Academy and Mount St. Mary College, sang Four American Gospel Songs, arranged by Luigi Zaninelli. As the concert came to an end, the soloists, composers and band were rewarded with a roaring ovation. The Hellcats then marched back into place to play the Sousa encore The Gallant Seventh with the Concert Band.
Jazz
Knights News Two charter members of the Jazz Knights, each having served the United States Army for twenty-eight years, retired from active duty during the latter part of 2000. Their leadership will be sorely missed. Master Sgt. Ron Harsch, the band’s drummer and group leader, left the band in September. He had a reputation as an efficient organizer who oversaw all of the jazz band’s functions and kept its members pointed in the right direction. His even temperament, steady time, and musical versatility will be hard to replace. Master Sgt. Don Winslow, the group’s trumpet section leader and non-commissioned officer in charge of operations, departs in February 2001. Winslow will be especially missed for his smooth singing style, as he was a regularly featured vocalist with the band. MSG Ron Harsch
MSG Winslow & guest artist Byron
Stripling Former airman Vito Speranza, a versatile trumpeter and brother of current band member Tony Speranza, has just transferred from the Air Force’s Heartland of America Band. Based in Nebraska, this band tours the Midwest extensively. Originally from Amsterdam, New York, Speranza is looking forward to again working in his home state. As personnel change, so do ideas. For the last two years, as part of the Academy Band’s educational outreach program, the Knights have put on a well-attended one-day invitational jazz workshop. These were greatly appreciated by local school band directors and students. Four bands participated in each workshop. The Jazz Knights plan to continue hosting these, but in order to reach more students of all ages in an intimate setting; they are initiating an additional educational opportunity. Directors of junior high through college level bands are invited to bring their groups and spend a morning or afternoon with the Jazz Knights. A typical day’s activities will include participating in rehearsals, and clinics in jazz improvisation and instrumental proficiency. The emphasis will be on hands-on activities, with plenty of attention to individuals. Areas of special interest to specific bands can be accommodated. In order to set up a visit with the Jazz Knights, please contact their operations NCO, Sergeant 1st Class Lou Pappas, at 938-5361, or 938-2445. Another aspect of the Academy Band’s educational outreach program consists of performances for educators and students at conventions and festivals. On April 21st, the Jazz Knights will be performing at the Music Educators’ All-Eastern Conference. This week-long event takes place at the Armed Forces School of Music in Virginia. Several Academy Band members who have come up through the ranks of the Army band program attended this training facility. The Jazz Knights look forward to the opportunity to motivate new soldier/musicians, and to give them a chance to experience the quality of a premier military band. On Sunday, April 8th, 2001, the Jazz Knights will be performing at the Carolina Theater in Greensboro, North Carolina for the Piedmont Jazz Festival. For information about this event, log on to their website: www.piedmontjazzfest.com. Also, check the USMA Band internet site at www.usma.army.mil/band/ for a listing of other Jazz Knights performances in North Carolina during April. As of this writing, a short concert tour of the area is being put together. Please note that all Jazz Knights performances are free and open to the public. In a continuing effort to expose young people to jazz, America’s only indigenous music, the group would like to set up a concert at your local school. The Jazz Knights perform exciting music for the general student body, talk a little about musical opportunities in the military, and are available for clinics, geared toward music students, after the concert. Please send a written request to Sergeant 1st Class Lou Pappas, United States Military Academy Band, Egner Hall, West Point, NY 10996-1587. The
Band Goes West The primary mission of the United States Military Academy Band is to support cadet activities. Most of these performances take place in or around West Point. However, as time permits, the Army also assigns the Academy Band or its components to other musical duties. These include public relations tours, school appearances and assisting other military commands. As a capstone year 2000 event, Lt. Col. David Deitrick, along with the concert band and field music group, the Hellcats, performed at the renowned Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, held in Chicago last December. "The Midwest clinic," said Band Commander Lt Col. Deitrick, "attracts international attention. To my knowledge, this is the first time that the Academy Band has appeared at this venue. I felt this was a great opportunity for our organization. "The 'Midwest' is a huge gathering," Deitrick explained. "Music people from around the world come to Chicago each year. They include professional musicians, composers and arrangers, instrument makers, military musicians, and teachers and students at all levels, from elementary school to university. It's difficult to describe accurately the scope of this event if you have never attended. The exhibit floors alone could occupy your interest for days. Representatives from uniform companies, stage equipment manufacturers, publishers, computer companies and software sellers abound. Of course, the concerts by the large professional and university groups produce the most excitement.
"Because of the large number of people present, the clinic sets strict guidelines for performing groups," Deitrick made clear. "They advise against repetition of music performed in the three previous years and prefer pieces of under ten minutes in length. Narrators are discouraged as is non-essential sound amplification. The clinic committee prefers to highlight new music and asks conductors to avoid performances of out-of-print selections. "Our goal at the clinic was two-fold," Deitrick continued. " First, we wanted to publicize the upcoming academy bicentennial and the new music commemorating this event. Second, I felt it was important that the musical world become more conscious of the level of musicianship at the Military Academy Band, and the opportunities available in the Army. "I chose a program for this event that would reflect on the Academy's 200-year mark and highlight our many fine soloists," Deitrick went on. "I also wanted our audience to get a taste of West Point. How often do college professors get to thrill at the twirl of a silver bugle or the flourish of a precision field drum performance? The Hellcats played with us on several martial works: The Official West Point March, by Teacher of Music Philip Egner, and Edwin Franko Goldman's march Bugles and Drums. Cadets striding on the Plain at West Point often hear these marches as they pass in review. "Another composition featuring the field music was Eric Ewazen's Legacy," Deitrick said. "Mr. Ewazen composed Legacy for the bicentennial. It's a three-movement work in cyclic form, with broad Schumann-like themes. We presented movement three, '...of Home and Country.' Mr. Ewazen is a real West Point enthusiast, one of our biggest cheerleaders. We received many favorable comments on his piece and I'm glad he was present to hear the accolades.
"Our concert featured several outstanding soloists," Deitrick elaborated. "First, Sergeant Major Joel Evans performed Joseph Haydn's Concerto for Oboe in C major. Staff Sergeant Barry Morrison, on euphonium, was featured in Tuscan Serenade, arranged by Percy Grainger from a melody by Faure. Grainger enjoyed a close association with our band, living in nearby White Plains, and is an important part of our heritage. Additionally, our fine vocalist, Staff Sergeant MaryKay Messenger, sang three movements from Bernard Gilmore's Five Folk Songs. This unusual piece is a particular favorite of mine and highlights Messenger's exceptional versatility and audience appeal. "Also on the program was a musical hint of our last large series of commissions," Deitrick informed. "My deputy commander, Major William Garlette, interpreted movement three from Robert Dvorak's exciting West Point Symphony. Written for the academy's 1952 sesquicentennial, this symphony is now a part of standard concert band repertoire. Mr. Dvorak, a remarkably distinguished gentleman, received a standing ovation as he was recognized after the performance. "After the concert," Deitrick related, "I was overwhelmed by all the warm compliments and handshakes from the audience. We collected many favorable comments from some of the top music educators and performers in the country. I would like to publicly thank the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and particularly board member Dr. David McCormick, for inviting us. Dr. McCormick is an Army band veteran and is particularly interested in the USMA Band and its rich history. My compliments, also, to the men and women of the concert band and Hellcats, for representing West Point and the Army exceptionally well in front of so many distinguished colleagues. In the space of a few weeks they went from the gridiron to the concert hall. I doubt that any other musical organization in the nation was called upon this fall to perform so many varied tasks as the United States Military Academy Band," Deitrick concluded.
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On
Friday, February 16th, 7:30 p.m., in the Eisenhower Hall Theatre, Lt. Col.
Deitrick and the U.S. Military Academy Band will present its popular
salute to the "March King," John Philip Sousa. Although famous
for his martial music, Sousa composed in a wide variety of styles; from
songs and suites, to fantasies, humoresques and operettas. Additionally,
he wrote seven books, among them an autobiography, a manual on how to run
a marching band, and several works of fiction. Sousa and his band, like
the USMA Band, were always aware that they were musical ambassadors for
the United States. He described himself as "salesman of Americanism,
globetrotter, and musician." Enjoy the man and his music this
February at West Point.
Euphonium
soloist Staff Sgt. Barry Morrison plans an ambitious schedule in Texas,
appearing for the Texas Music Educators' Association in San Antonio. The
Regimental Brass Quintet has been invited to perform for the Temple Hall
Concert Series, in Salt Lake City, Utah. While there, the group will
premiere a Richard Smith work, Where History Lies Sleeping, newly
commissioned for the upcoming U.S. Military Academy Bicentennial.
Many
readers of this newsletter know about the academy’s fast-approaching
bicentennial in 2002. The Academy Band has been commissioning many
composers to write works in commemoration of the bicentennial. One of
these works is David Kechley’s Restless Birds before the Dark Moon, for
solo alto saxophone and band, written for Staff Sgt. Wayne Tice and the
Military Academy Band. The Kechley was the third work on Friday’s
program, and Staff Sergeant Tice was offering its premiere performance.
The piece is a tone painting that expresses the conflict of good and evil
as well as effects such as bird flight. It has passages of extremely fast,
jagged and technical lines, as well as slow, ethereal, melodic sections.
Staff Sergeant Tice gave a fiery performance as he demonstrated his
advanced technical skill and beautiful tone in this very exciting and
difficult new piece.
Attending
the Eisenhower Hall concert were the composers and past and present band
officers (l. to r.): Maj. William Garlette, Lt. Col. David Deitrick, Col.
(ret.) William Schempf, Dan Welcher, Eric Ewazen, and Lt. Col. (ret.)
Virginia Allen.
Replacements
for Harsch and Winslow will be arriving at West Point early this year.
Staff Sgt. Fulgencio Medina, a talented and energetic drummer from San
Antonio, has been in the Army band program for twelve years, and will be
coming to the Jazz Knights from an assignment in Germany.
